Don’t Miss Out

You’re all set!

Look out for our weekly updates soon.

Connect with us

Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.

Sign up now for the latest news, top picks for your kids, and helpful tips.

What parents need to know

Lots of information about Christmas and Hanukkah traditions, including the story behind each holiday and the foods and songs used to celebrate them.

Positive messages

The books' message is that it's fun to be "a mix of two traditions" and respect and celebrate both. As the girl narrator notes, "these traditional tales ... link us together today."

Positive role models

The little girl narrator is proud of her heritage, and her parents are models of respecting others' beliefs and traditions.

Violence & scariness

Not applicable

Language

Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Christmas Daddy & Hanukkah Mama is a joyful look at a family that celebrates both holidays in food, song, storytelling, and decorations. Narrated by the daughter of this two-tradition family, the story presents diversity as fun and natural and makes respecting others' beliefs and culture look both easy and delightful.

User reviews

Parents say

Kids say

What's the story?

A little girl proudly proclaims, \"I am a mix of two traditions from Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama,\" then takes readers on a tour of her home during the holidays. They decorate a Christmas tree with a shiny star, light eight candles on a menorah, and leave latkes for Santa. From singing \"Silent Night\" and \"Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel\" to kissing under the mistletoe and hearing the stories of the Maccabees and the oil lamp as well as the baby in the manger, this family doubles the fun and the meaning of the holiday season. On page after page, the little girl, her parents, and her extended family make the season bright, from Hanukkah to New Year's Day. And there's even a recipe for Cranberry Kugel Dressing!

Is it any good?

QUALITY

DADDY CHRISTMAS & HANUKKAH MAMA is a joyful celebration of two religious and cultural traditions under the same roof. Author-illustrator Selina Alko's spirited mixed-media illustrations are full of family coziness and comprehensive seasonal detail. It's a respectful look at the two traditions, with a multiracial cast of neighbors and relatives that subtly underscores the book's message about diversity and accepting others.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about their own holiday traditions. Which ones do you look forward to each year?

How is Christmas Daddy & Hanukkah Mama different from other holiday books and movies you've seen?

How do you like the way author-illustrator Selina Alko uses collage elements in her illustrations? Can you spot the bits of patterned paper used for the kids' clothes and scarves and the printed paper that makes up part of the Christmas tree?

About our buy links

When you use our links to make a purchase, Common Sense Media earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes. As a nonprofit organization, these funds help us continue providing independent, ad-free services for educators, families, and kids while the price you pay remains the same. Thank you for your support.Read more

Top advice and articles

What parents and kids say

Book recommendations for every age — right to your inbox

Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.

Our Policies

Download our free app

Common Sense is the nation’s leading independent non-profit organization dedicated to empowering kids to thrive in a world of media and technology. Families, educators, and policymakers turn to
Common Sense for unbiased information and trusted advice to help them learn how to harness the positive power of media and technology for all kids.

The Common Sense and Common Sense Media names, associated trademarks, and logos, including the Decider Slider and Age Ratings Bugs,
are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (FEIN 41-2024986).